Well, ok. They're ugly. To some folks. But, they're kinda neat. Like sharks. In their environment, they rule. On that TV show, they're hunted. For food, for their hides. I'm not a PETA type of person, and I have so enjoyed some alligator gumbo on more than one occasion, but we must be careful not to hunt these creatures to extinction. As we almost did once.
Some decades ago, the alligator was added to the endangered species list. Apparently, it worked. Seldom, during that time, did you find alligators in the wild in this neck of the woods. They were here, mind you, but they stayed out of sight. And, for good reason. Too many hunters out there, too many stories about how vicious gators can be. The occasional headlines about an alligator attacking a kid or a dog that got too close to the water's edge. Mostly in Florida where alligators were forced to live with humans who had drained their habitats to build houses.
Well, the good news is that the gators have made a comeback. While you don't find them, too often, in your backyard swimming pools around here, you can find them, if you look hard enough, in many parts of the New River, along creek banks and the like. They are still a bit shy, but with a long lens, and a lot of patience, you can still get some decent pictures.
Like these I took last week.
Is it my imagination, or is this guy sizing me up, thinking about lunch? Or, maybe he's just posing for pictures. Does look a little like he's smiling. Doesn't it? Well, doesn't it?! !
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